SAN ANTONIO, July 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rackspace ® today announced that it is one of the first companies to be recognized as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider (MSP). The Azure Expert MSP is a new program designed to make it easier for customers to identify the most relevant and capable MSP partners to help manage complex cloud environments.

Rackspace is a trusted partner for organizations undergoing digital transformation, delivering true transformation as a service across applications, data, security and infrastructure. As an Azure Expert MSP, Rackspace will expand its visibility and reach within the Microsoft partner ecosystem to deliver end-to-end services including support with cloud migration, architectural design and build, and ongoing management for enterprise customers.

“Becoming an Azure Expert MSP is a significant achievement and a key milestone in our long-time collaboration with Microsoft,” said Duan van der Westhuizen, general manager of the Microsoft Azure business at Rackspace. “With hundreds of Microsoft MSPs worldwide, this designation places Rackspace in an elite category and it is a testament to the depth of our Microsoft expertise and capabilities. Our deep Microsoft technology experience coupled with our managed Microsoft Azure solution allows us to deliver a differentiated offering, while helping customers manage the complexity of Azure environments at every phase of their cloud journey.”

The Azure Expert MSP program simplifies the process for customers to identify the top Azure MSPs who can deliver high quality managed services across the entire cloud adoption and operations lifecycle, extending beyond project based initial engagements.

As customers move to the public cloud with increasing pace, they need partners with a deep level of cloud expertise and experience to guide them. Inclusion in the Microsoft Azure Expert MSP program is awarded to partners that meet a stringent set of requirements, including verified proof of excellence in customer delivery and technical expertise, and the successful completion of an independent audit of their managed services, people, processes, and technologies. Only the most high-fidelity cloud managed service providers are awarded the Azure Expert MSP badge, intended to give customers confidence when selecting a partner to help them meet their digital transformation goals.

Within Microsoft’s expansive global MSP network, Rackspace is now part of a small, elite group of Managed Service Providers that have achieved the Azure Expert MSP designation. As part of the extensive evaluation process, Rackspace was required to demonstrate capabilities in several key areas including:

  • Customer Success:   Proven customer success demonstrated via public case studies and private references.
  • Advanced Support:   Rackspace has access to advanced Microsoft support and Azure engineering groups to help resolve issues quickly and effectively.
  • Extensive Skilling: Demonstrated strong technical knowledge and skills with a minimum of 15 full-time employees with Azure certifications and expertise in Azure architecture, development and operations.
  • People, Process and Technologies:   Rackspace passed a rigorous 64-step audit, which assessed Rackspace employees, processes and technology related to the company’s ability to offer managed services for complex Azure environments.

“Our Azure Expert MSPs set the bar when it comes to providing the highest level of support and driving value for customers,” said Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner at Microsoft Corp.  “Rackspace is a key strategic partner that shares our commitment to excellence in these areas. Through our ongoing collaboration, we will continue innovating to find new ways to address the increasingly complex business challenges our Azure customers face while undergoing their digital transformation.”

Rackspace has a long-standing history of collaboration with Microsoft. The company has been a Microsoft partner since 2001 and an Azure managed services partner since 2015.  Rackspace has also achieved 13 Microsoft Partner Competencies in the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) for its proven expertise in delivering quality solutions across specialized areas of business. This Microsoft expertise is delivered by hundreds of Rackers across the globe who hold more than 1,500 Microsoft technical certifications. Recently, Rackspace was also named a finalist for Microsoft’s 2018 Partner of the Year award within the Datacenter Transformation category , as well as a finalist for Microsoft’s UK Partner of the Year Award.

For additional information on Rackspace’s designation as a Microsoft Azure Expert MSP and its managed Microsoft Azure offering, please visit here .

About Rackspace Rackspace is modernizing IT in today’s multi-cloud world. By delivering IT as a service, we help customers of all industries, sizes, and locations realize the power of digital transformation without the complexity and expense of managing it on their own. Our comprehensive portfolio of managed services across applications, data, security and infrastructure on the world’s leading public and private cloud platforms enables us to provide unbiased expertise. Rackspace has been honored by Fortune, Forbes, Glassdoor and others as one of the best places to work. Learn more at  www.rackspace.com .

Media Contact: Brandon Brunson        210.312.1357 brandon.brunson@rackspace.com